27 Replies - 3288 Views - Last Post: 03 February 2011 - 08:38 PM

I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 02 February 2011 - 06:18 PM

Hello there people of DIC! Good day. I just want to share to you my experience in my Project Management class.

So this professor gives us handouts of the lessons he just taught every meeting. Then afterwards we have a quiz. I get high grades on the quiz. Here is the I don't get it part. Every time we go to our lab, I go to a computer at the back of the room and I play games on the said computer, while my professor drones on about the finer points of managing projects, costs, whatnot. Then one day, we had our midterm exams. It was a full day affair, split into morning and afternoon. It was done by group, and on the morning part I took hold of our group and gave them lots of stuff to put into our test paper. When lunch came, all we needed was our answers to be written on the paper.
Come afternoon, I left the writing(and the math part, lol) to my groupmates. I went to the back of the room and promptly played with the computer again. Then, when the class was finished, I was told by my groupmates my teacher asked where I was and what I was doing, to which my good groupmates promptly replied "Sir, he did a lot for our group." Well, after tons of groups are finished, he finally went to my place and told everyone there, "Everyone who is just playing, leave the room." So I left. But my classmates who were playing Monster Hunter on the PSP still played. Inside the room.

The next week, on the same class, the said professor told us that he will be implementing new measures to keep the class from "playing" at the room(when he said playing, he looked at me, lol) so we will listen to him. He will also stop doling us handouts.

My argument is this, if your student is performing well on your class, why put up measures to make him listen if he/she understands the lessons? I'd had professors who tell us that if we pass their quizzes/exam, they couldn't care less if we show up at all.

Replies To: I Don't Get My Teacher

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 02 February 2011 - 06:45 PM

POPULAR

Dude, you gotta suck it up and do what your professor requires; you really have no other choice. He has every right to require his students stay engaged and participating during class time, no matter their aptitude or grades.

In your educational journey you will experience all different kinds of teaching styles. You are learning to grow and adapt, developing maturity, in preparation for a rewarding career. When you are working and are part of a team you will not want to relax your commitment to the team after you feel you have "done your share." You will want to stay engaged and see your projects through to the end.

I sympathize with what you are going through, because I go through very similar things. But honestly, use this as time to mature and show your ability to be flexible. Besides, if you know the material so well, your staying involved in the class will very likely help some of the other students. Display your dedication to your professor and you will be rewarded with personal satisfaction and maybe even some worthwhile recognition from your professor.

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 02 February 2011 - 06:57 PM

In my experiences, most of my teachers cut me a lot of slack for things like multitasking in class. However, I also work hard, do well, generally turn in my work on time, and participate in class. That being said, I've had teachers that like all eyes on them. You gotta deal with it in school, and in the workplace, sorry to say.

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 02 February 2011 - 08:09 PM

@redwarrior thanks mom!

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When you are working and are part of a team you will not want to relax your commitment to the team after you feel you have "done your share." You will want to stay engaged and see your projects through to the end.

That one is new to me, guess I'm too narrow minded to figure that one out for myself. I'll now try to help my groupmates once I've done my part. I leave my groupmates after I get my job done sometimes because I am the one most of the times to take initiative on a project. Once I get things going, I leave them so as not to appear I'm imposing myself to them(for example, superiority complex or something, which I don't have), and most of the time they pick things up where I left off. I think it's called setting an example. When I work with people who are unsure of their skills(like they think maybe someone will tell them their idea is stupid), afraid to be embarrassed, does not want to interrupt others or others are just free loaders.

People who are unsure of their skills get confidence since I let them take their own ideas and implementing it on our project. Those who are afraid to be embarrassed (for example, suggesting something that is way obvious) have no choice but to do everything they can, since everyone is playing a role in the group and if some of the others have already fulfilled theirs, then they will get the drive to finish up their task. For those people who don't interrupt others, they think to themselves that the persons talking or taking charge are the ones who know more, so they don't speak up. This is bad since they are acting like the free loaders, who only think of getting on a good group, signing their name on the members of the group, and letting the others handle all the work. This is bad. If I stay and tell them to work on this, they'll ask me how to do it, then after that I'll end up probably doing most of the stuff. I don't like confrontations, so if I can do something, I would(maybe I need a little help in this area).

I don't know the subject too well, it's just that the handouts given are sufficient enough to give me an idea of how an exam would go. I would review it and it's enough for me to get good grades on. I just learn while I read the handouts, usually minutes before the exam. So what is taught on the lab room I don't soak up, I just rely on the handouts. Now that the professor is not giving them out anymore, I will have to listen to him. Which is a bad thing. The class is not conducive for learning. The room is cold, there are lots of computers in the room for a subject that doesn't require constant use for it, and the class at the lab is after lunch. It means most of the students have just eaten yet and they want to sleep. My classmates sleep, but I do not. To keep myself from getting bored, I play games. Which is I think a bad thing if the teacher is teaching in front of the class and the other students are clearly not listening.

@macosxnerd101
I work hard for school. I comply with deadlines, quizzes, the works. What I'm concerned about is that my teacher wants to change the way the class works, which is working(us learning stuff, which is the main thing right?) and turn it into a dreadful experience. I'll probably sleep through his class this Saturday(the day he implements martial law).

Why can't teachers accept the fact that students can learn in their own ways?

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 02 February 2011 - 08:21 PM

fromTheSprawl, on 03 February 2011 - 02:18 AM, said:

Come afternoon, I left the writing(and the math part, lol) to my groupmates. I went to the back of the room and promptly played with the computer again. Then, when the class was finished, I was told by my groupmates my teacher asked where I was and what I was doing, to which my good groupmates promptly replied "Sir, he did a lot for our group." Well, after tons of groups are finished, he finally went to my place and told everyone there,

That's a lot I (5). What did you contribrute to the group? I take it, feck all.
"my good groupmates" good? How? Because they covered for your slackness?
Is the grading not done on a curve?

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He will also stop doling us handouts.

Good for him. Why should he do all the work, that's your task. He there to assist your learning. He already knows how to learn.

Are going there to get a qualification? or to learn?

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My argument is this, if your student is performing well on your class, why put up measures to make him listen if he/she understands the lessons? I'd had professors who tell us that if we pass their quizzes/exam, they couldn't care less if we show up at all.

Any suggestions,comments or anything? What should I do?

Life isn't all quizzes and exams. What at experience and practical knowledge?
Theory is ok, putting it into practice is even better.

Edits: grammer and speellings

This post has been edited by AdamSpeight2008: 02 February 2011 - 08:36 PM

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 02 February 2011 - 08:25 PM

Ah, I see. I understand your frustration over the performance of the other students. I tend to get run over and will do all the work myself. And please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that that is OK. It puts you in a bad position, and I can see where you would want to step back and give the others the opportunity to do their share. Tough call and I'm sure you have to evaluate each situation and project.

I doubt this will be the last time you are in a less than optimal classroom experience. I hope you stick it out and keep your grades up. Do your best. That's all you can do. I really don't think that you will be able to influence your instructor's style, but I may be wrong. I have had several instructors that I felt didn't do their jobs anywhere near the level that I thought they should.

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 02 February 2011 - 09:07 PM

@AdamSpeight2008 I take it you're a teacher? I kid! I meant 'good' in a way that they didn't hold it out on me that I left them after I did my part. I did 1/2 of the stuff, and they did the writing + math part.

Yeah I know theory is not enough. That's why I'm here, to learn from all of you.

He's not doling out handouts per se, he just lends us the lesson by chapter and we all take turns in photocopying our own copies. Is that bad? That frees up a part of the students attention so they could just focus on him teaching(in that they don't need to look up and write whats at the whiteboard anymore). Or maybe it's not good. Since now I see that if the professor doesn't give us the chapter, we will be forced to take down notes while he's teaching. Good luck with that.

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Are going there to get a qualification? or to learn?

Of course, I'm there to learn. I love learning, and I think I'll miss it when I leave school

@redwarrior I guess what I'll do is I'll prove my worth to my teacher, like you said. I don't have any choice, really. This is my last term and he could be the only reason I will be staying past this term. Suck it up! lol

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 03 February 2011 - 08:30 AM

POPULAR

I'm sitting here wondering when the feck did school become so frickin' lax? I'm not that far removed from school (and I can't tell whether we're talking something like high school or something more like college) but either way it doesn't matter. I never once attended a school at any level where you could basically toddle off and play in the middle of class...and then be possessed of the gall to criticize a teacher not being good with that. Good God, had I tried that at any school I went to I would have been booted from class. Bring a PSP to class? Yeah, pull that out and that'll be the last time I see that...ever.

And having a gripe when the instructor restructures the class schedule to eliminate game playing and the like? Did the concept of respect enter the building yet? School's great for a lot of things but I personally guarantee you that life after school won't tolerate petulance and disrespect like that for long. Try doing that in a meeting. You know, you present your material and then you haul out your Gameboy and start playing while the rest of the meeting proceeds. Discover shortly thereafter that they DO make checks printed on pink paper.

Seriously, straighten up and pay attention. And even if you're done, at least look like you're paying attention...or pretty much anything other than fecking around.

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 03 February 2011 - 08:49 AM

idk what you expect. your at school to learn, not play games. ok so your faster than everyone else and you finished your work. theres nothing that says you are entitled to free time to do what you want at school because you are so smart. thats not to say its gotta be all work and no play at school, but if its how the teacher wants it, then don't complain about it.

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 03 February 2011 - 09:36 AM

I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with the others here. I'm not sure if you're talking about University or something lower, but either way, you just need to suck it up for the hour or so a day that you have to listen to something you already know.

It doesn't matter that you already know it, or that you've already done your work, especially in a group project. It's likely that when you get a programming job, you'll be working as a team. You don't just quit when your part is done, you either move on to your other work or you assist the team. You help them do whatever you can to deliver early or on time.

In school, you'll have to deal with a lot of crap. Silly stuff, like formatting code the way the professor wants, or specific comments, or stuff like that. You just have to put up with it, because it's required for that degree. You can forget it all when you're out of the class, but don't stand on principle at the expense of your grade.

And I'd have to say, step off the high horse a bit. If you're bringing the same attitude you brought here to your professor, then of course he's going to think you're disrespectful, and life's going to be hard in that class.

Even if you don't respect a professor, pretend you do for as long as you're in the class. You never know when you're going to get them again, and some of them could even give you a job reference.

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 03 February 2011 - 11:06 AM

I used to be a vet student and things are no different in veterinary medicine schools. You should learn to follow your teacher to the point he is the god in classroom and his words are law. That's it, if you disobey you'll suffer, if you simply follow, you'll graduate. Stay within the group and at least pretend doing something, it will soothe your teacher, and pump his ego. It's all about teachers' ego in the end.

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 03 February 2011 - 11:47 AM

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I think it's called setting an example.

Though it technically is setting an example, it is not setting a very good one. Notice how you halfway did what you only somewhat felt like doing and then went and played games? Didn't the rest of the group just grind out the paperwork and break out PSP's?

"Project Management" seems to me like a class that would prepare future workplace-environment team members to be a vital part of those teams. When in that environment, professionals are highly confident in their skills, as is the company that hired them. This means taking care of the basics and leaving the math and writing to the rest of the team while you play games is a practice that will not work out as well for you in an actual working environment. Rather than the end of handouts, it would mean the end of a job.

If you really want to boost the confidence of those other students, work with them during class as a means to get them closer to your level. Just because they are on a first-name basis with you doesn't mean you can't be some version of a teacher to them.

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

Posted 03 February 2011 - 11:51 AM

Craig328, on 03 February 2011 - 12:30 PM, said:

I'm sitting here wondering when the feck did school become so frickin' lax? I'm not that far removed from school (and I can't tell whether we're talking something like high school or something more like college) but either way it doesn't matter. I never once attended a school at any level where you could basically toddle off and play in the middle of class...and then be possessed of the gall to criticize a teacher not being good with that. Good God, had I tried that at any school I went to I would have been booted from class. Bring a PSP to class? Yeah, pull that out and that'll be the last time I see that...ever.

Seriously! You were lucky if you could use a Gameboy Pocket on the BUS, let alone in a classroom. What the hell are you there for?

Re: I Don't Get My Teacher

fromTheSprawl, you are obviously smart and the class is a walk in the park. I get it. Now I suggest instead of playing the games, use your superior intelligence to bend others to your will!

Why play a game when you could get others to pay you for answers? Kick people you hate off your team and let them get an F because they can't do their own homework. Make the teachers love you by doing all they ask and 10% more! Make them say "damn that guy is so epic!"

Believe me, this is what I did through school. I did everyone's homework and had them pay me for it. I had one well known jock screw with me once and I kicked him out of my group (ask the teacher... after all since they love you they tend to do you favors like remove people you report as 'slacking') and because of it he failed the assignment and became ineligible to play basketball. He would have probably tried to beat me up, but I had other jocks on my payroll because I did their homework at discounted prices.

When it is all over and you graduate to a prestigious college, they will be left with nothing and serving french fries at a local McDonalds. You will have built a reputation and you will then use all that you learned to conquer the world and retire as a living god.

Knowledge is power and I say hell with the games, pay attention in class, do more than what is expected and crush your enemies while bribing your friends. Half of them you will never see anyways after you leave school. If you are good... and you sound like you might be.... you will even make someone cry.